Blowing the pattern?

[Dylan Rhodes]

Okay, I need some help here. Apologies if this is the wrong forum. I have a parked reproduction 28 gauge that is quickly becoming my favorite gun. Except, with whatever I’m using the pattern is absolutely terrible and I can’t hit jack. After firing 4 shots at a wounded bird in a tree 20 yards away and watching it ultimately fly away I became very curious. I was so perplexed after the first two I actually checked to see if I fired a double squib. Nope.

So after the hunt I hit my pattern board. At 20 yards I had 15 BB’s in a 30” circle with the IC choke and 21 with the modified. . 15!!! And 21!! So I’m left to assume my patterns just are going all around what I’m shooting at. I have 7/8 oz of 5 shot at 1300FPS. I’m curious if it’s to fast for a 26” barrel and it’s just “blowing” apart once it leaves the muzzle. The pellets were generally centered so at this point I have no reason to suspect POI or regulation issues. And yes, I have measured the bore constriction with a proper bore gauge, the chokes are correctly marked.

Obviously I need to try a new load but I’m at a loss for direction. Slower? Solve the problem with more bb’s and smaller shot?

Thanks in advance.

[Don Mills]

Dylan,
I use 3/4 oz of 7.5 shot at about 1150fps. It works well for me in my I.C./mod 26” barrels on my 28 gauge repro. I haven’t tried it at a pattern board but it does well on clays and quail for me.

[Double Lab]

Try M/IM and 3/4oz of 7 1/2's at 1200fps. You can thank me later. You loads are too fast and too heavy.

[Dylan Rhodes]

I guess the piece of information that’s missing is I typically use the gun on pheasant. I have had bad experience wounding birds with anything above 7. Perhaps 3/4 oz of 7’s?

[Mike of the Mountain]

Too fast for sure. Drop the charge to 3/4 oz and the velocity to under 1200 and pattern the shells again.

If you’re shooting preserve birds, #7 should work. I even load #6 or a duplex load of #6 & 7 1/2.

[Double Lab]

I've killed a boatload of wild pheasants with 3/4oz of 7 1/2's through a M/F 28ga. 7's would probably work, just tighten your chokes.

[David C Porter]

There are 150 pellets of #5 shot in 7/8oz. You state that you have 15 pellets in a 30" circle. That's only a 10% pattern , that's more open than a cylinder choke. IC choke is 50% & would be 75 pellets. Numbers don't add up correctly

If you are using 7/8oz of BB's on the pattern board there's 44 BB's & your 15 equals 33%. That's equals to cylinder choke.

[Dylan Rhodes]

Originally Posted by David C Porter

There are 150 pellets of #5 shot in 7/8oz. You state that you have 15 pellets in a 30" circle. That's only a 10% pattern , that's more open than a cylinder choke. IC choke is 50% & would be 75 pellets. Numbers don't add up correctly

That is my point, where is the shot going? The numbers don’t make sense but they make sense with my kill percentage, experience in the field with this gun, and the wounded bird shenanigans that occurred today. 4 shots at a stationary rooster pheasant from 20 yards unobstructed? The pattern board makes perfect sense to me actually.

I can’t make heads or tails of it. These are factory loads, did they not put 7/8 of an oz in?

[Double Lab]

I can tell you from years of experience with the 28ga. that that gauge does not handle shot larger than 6's well. I've found the sweet spot with 7 1/2's and no faster than 1200fps.

[Dean Romig]

Go to #8 shot.





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